On Saturday, Nov 17, three members of the Berea Welcome Center Carvers will demonstrate woodcarving techniques from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.

Carving that day will be Keith Flowers of Richmond, as well as Jack Gann and Will Bondurant from Berea. Bondurant specializes in chip carving, a style of woodcarving in which knives are used to remove small chips of wood from the surface of a single piece of wood. Flowers enjoys carving a variety of characters, while Gann carves both animals and figures with ease.

Woodcarving is an ancient art found in every culture and part of the world. Carving styles include whittling, line carving, chip carving, pierced carving, relief carving, in-the-round carving (sculpture), architectural carving and chainsaw carving. Woods generally used for spoon and bowl carving are harder woods such as walnut, oak, maple or cherry.

Members of the Berea Welcome Center Carvers hail from all over central Kentucky. Community activities provided by the group include carving classes, carving demonstrations at schools, monthly Kentucky Artisan Center demonstrations and special events.

Members of this woodcarving group specialize in a wide variety of techniques and styles of carving. Some members focus on carving caricatures and figures in the round. Others enjoy carving animals and birds while still others create functional works such as spoons, hand -hewn bowls, decorative tiles and ornaments. Many members are great teachers and enjoy sharing their love of woodcarving, making their demonstrations at the Kentucky Artisan Center a mix of humor, technique and storytelling.

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is located at 200 Artisan Way, just off Interstate 75 at Berea exit 77. The center’s exhibits, shopping and travel information areas are open daily, year-round, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the cafe is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The center currently features works by more than 650 artisans from more than 100 counties across the Commonwealth. A special exhibit titled, “The Threads that Bind: Textile Works by Kentucky Artisans,” is on display through Feb. 23, 2013. For information about the center’s programming, call 859-985-5448 or visit the center’s website at www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is an agency in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.